2023 Best Colleges in the United States
When pursuing a degree in today's world, there are many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Top Colleges ranking.
Our analysis looked at 2,241 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best in terms of overall quality. Our ranking methodology focuses on over 20 different objective factors - such as graduation rate, post graduate earnings, and a school's average expenditure per student - to make this determination.
Learn more about our ranking methodology.
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We know that one set of rankings doesn't always help you determine the best school for you, so we've created the ability to narrow your list by location and field of study as well as alternative rankings that prioritize different factors such as those of importance to veterans and returning adults or those who value diversity and value for your money.
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Top Colleges in the United States
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology tops this year’s ranking as the best school in the United States for overall quality.Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 3,620 students in 2020-2021.
The low student loan default rate of 0.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from MIT make an average of $111,222 per year during the early years of their career.
A rank of #2 on our Best Colleges in the United States list means Stanford University is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4,821 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 4 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Stanford is $97,798 during the early years of their career.
A rank of #3 on our Best Colleges in the United States list means Duke University is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 6,654 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Duke is $93,115 during the early years of their career.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #4 in the United States on this year’s overall quality ranking. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 9,822 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from UPenn make an average of $103,246 per year during the early years of their career.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Northwestern University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in the United States. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 9,290 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $80,033 during the early years of their career..
With a ranking of #6, Claremont McKenna College did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges in the United States list. Claremont McKenna is located in Claremont, California and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 441 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. During the early years of their career, graduates from Claremont McKenna make an average of $86,571 a year.
University of Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges in the United States ranking, coming in at #7.Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 6,805 students in 2020-2021.
The low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from UChicago make an average of $76,730 per year during the early years of their career.
Carnegie Mellon University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Colleges in the United States list. Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5,381 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Carnegie Mellon go into careers with an average salary of $99,998 during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #9, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges in the United States list. Johns Hopkins is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 10,486 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins make an average of $83,287 per year during the early years of their career.
Princeton University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges in the United States ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Princeton, New Jersey, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 2,075 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student-to-faculty rate of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. During the early years of their career, graduates from Princeton make an average of $95,689 a year.
Brown University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges in the United States ranking. Brown is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 3,032 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 6 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Brown make an average of $78,943 per year during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #12, Harvard University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges in the United States list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 9,623 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 5 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Harvard is $84,918 during the early years of their career.
Cornell University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges in the United States ranking.Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 7,952 students in 2020-2021.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Cornell is $91,176 during the early years of their career.
Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the United States ranking.New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 13,952 students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 6 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. During the early years of their career, graduates from Columbia make an average of $89,871 a year.
Yale University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges in the United States ranking, coming in at #15.New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 4,383 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Yale make an average of $88,655 per year during the early years of their career.
University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges in the United States ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 4,431 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The impressive student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. During the early years of their career, graduates from Notre Dame make an average of $88,962 a year.
University of California - Berkeley landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges in the United States ranking. This large public school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 14,685 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley make an average of $80,364 per year during the early years of their career.
University of Southern California came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the United States ranking.Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 17,749 students in 2020-2021.
The school boasts an average 4-year graduation rate of 77%, which is excellent when compared to the national rate of 33%. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from USC go into careers with an average salary of $83,426 during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #19, Georgetown University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges in the United States list. Georgetown University is a large private not-for-profit school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 7,126 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Bachelor’s degree students at the school tend to finish their degree on-time. The 4-year graduation rate is 89%, which is impressive compared to the national rate of 33%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown is $96,375 during the early years of their career.
Bowdoin College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges in the United States ranking. Located in Brunswick, Maine, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 619 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin make an average of $66,864 per year during the early years of their career.
Vanderbilt University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges in the United States ranking, coming in at #21. Vanderbilt is located in Nashville, Tennessee and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4,734 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt go into careers with an average salary of $79,872 during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #22, Dartmouth College did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges in the United States list. Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hanover, New Hampshire. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2,220 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The 4-year grad rate at the school is 86%. That’s impressive when you compare it to the national rate of 33%. During the early years of their career, graduates from Dartmouth make an average of $91,627 a year.
With a ranking of #23, Rice University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges in the United States list. Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 2,500 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Rice make an average of $77,683 per year during the early years of their career.
Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges in the United States ranking, coming in at #24. WUSTL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5,763 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from WUSTL go into careers with an average salary of $82,732 during the early years of their career.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the United States ranking. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 15,915 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $75,842 during the early years of their career..
Rest of the Top 50 Best Colleges in the United States
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Narrow Colleges by Region
Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in the United States
To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Villanova University | Villanova, PA |
| 52 | The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX |
| 53 | Swarthmore College | Swarthmore, PA |
| 54 | Bucknell University | Lewisburg, PA |
| 55 | Texas A&M University - College Station | College Station, TX |
| 56 | Bentley University | Waltham, MA |
| 57 | University of California - Davis | Davis, CA |
| 58 | Indiana University - Bloomington | Bloomington, IN |
| 59 | Colorado School of Mines | Golden, CO |
| 60 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | Minneapolis, MN |
| 61 | Amherst College | Amherst, MA |
| 62 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Troy, NY |
| 63 | University of Rochester | Rochester, NY |
| 64 | Wellesley College | Wellesley, MA |
| 65 | University of Florida | Gainesville, FL |
All Majors and Fields of Study >
Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our Best Colleges ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 338 | Illinois Wesleyan University | Bloomington, IL |
| 339 | Appalachian State University | Boone, NC |
| 340 | Ivy Tech Community College | Indianapolis, IN |
| 341 | University of Minnesota - Duluth | Duluth, MN |
| 342 | Crown College | Saint Bonifacius, MN |
| 343 | Calvin University | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 344 | University of Vermont | Burlington, VT |
| 345 | New England Institute of Technology | East Greenwich, RI |
| 346 | University of Louisville | Louisville, KY |
| 347 | Georgia State University-Perimeter College | Atlanta, GA |
| 348 | Rasmussen University - Florida | Ocala, FL |
| 349 | Hofstra University | Hempstead, NY |
| 350 | University of North Carolina at Wilmington | Wilmington, NC |
| 351 | ECPI University | Virginia Beach, VA |
| 352 | Liberty University | Lynchburg, VA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 353 | Adelphi University | Garden City, NY |
| 354 | Rockhurst University | Kansas City, MO |
| 355 | Westmont College | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 356 | Azusa Pacific University | Azusa, CA |
| 357 | Messiah University | Mechanicsburg, PA |
| 358 | Central Michigan University | Mount Pleasant, MI |
| 359 | Texas State University | San Marcos, TX |
| 360 | California State University - Sacramento | Sacramento, CA |
| 361 | Mount Marty University | Yankton, SD |
| 362 | Suffolk University | Boston, MA |
| 363 | Augustana University | Sioux Falls, SD |
| 364 | Beloit College | Beloit, WI |
| 365 | Gwinnett Technical College | Lawrenceville, GA |
| 366 | Bethel University Minnesota | Saint Paul, MN |
| 367 | University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, AL |
| 368 | Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global | Marion, IN |
| 369 | Wagner College | Staten Island, NY |
| 370 | Wofford College | Spartanburg, SC |
| 371 | Winona State University | Winona, MN |
| 372 | Union College New York | Schenectady, NY |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 373 | College of Saint Benedict | Saint Joseph, MN |
| 374 | Concordia University, Irvine | Irvine, CA |
| 375 | Lancaster Bible College | Lancaster, PA |
| 376 | Touro University Worldwide | Los Alamitos, CA |
| 377 | Southeastern University | Lakeland, FL |
| 378 | Marymount Manhattan College | New York, NY |
| 379 | Milwaukee School of Engineering | Milwaukee, WI |
| 380 | University of Wisconsin - Whitewater | Whitewater, WI |
| 381 | Ursinus College | Collegeville, PA |
| 382 | Nova Southeastern University | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 383 | Chatham University | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 384 | Westminster College Utah | Salt Lake City, UT |
| 385 | University of Wisconsin - Stout | Menomonie, WI |
| 386 | Central Texas College | Killeen, TX |
| 387 | California State University - Northridge | Northridge, CA |
| 388 | Union Institute & University | Cincinnati, OH |
| 389 | Hamline University | Saint Paul, MN |
| 390 | Queens College | Queens, NY |
| 391 | University of Phoenix - California | Costa Mesa, CA |
| 392 | United States University | San Diego, CA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 393 | Aurora University | Aurora, IL |
| 394 | Rhodes College | Memphis, TN |
| 395 | The University of Findlay | Findlay, OH |
| 396 | University of Mississippi | University, MS |
| 397 | Goucher College | Baltimore, MD |
| 398 | National University | La Jolla, CA |
| 399 | Northcentral University | San Diego, CA |
| 400 | Clark University | Worcester, MA |
| 401 | Rasmussen University - Minnesota | St. Cloud, MN |
| 402 | Old Dominion University | Norfolk, VA |
| 403 | Mount Mary University | Milwaukee, WI |
| 404 | Minnesota State University - Mankato | Mankato, MN |
| 405 | Oakland University | Rochester Hills, MI |
| 406 | Alliant International University | San Diego, CA |
| 407 | Missouri State University - Springfield | Springfield, MO |
| 408 | Rowan University | Glassboro, NJ |
| 409 | Northwestern College | Orange City, IA |
| 410 | Hennepin Technical College | Brooklyn Park, MN |
| 411 | Luther College | Decorah, IA |
| 412 | Eastern Gateway Community College | Steubenville, OH |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 413 | Widener University | Chester, PA |
| 414 | La Salle University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 415 | Hope College | Holland, MI |
| 416 | Juniata College | Huntingdon, PA |
| 417 | LIU Post | Brookville, NY |
| 418 | Christopher Newport University | Newport News, VA |
| 419 | Gannon University | Erie, PA |
| 420 | Chaffey College | Rancho Cucamonga, CA |
| 421 | Elizabethtown College | Elizabethtown, PA |
| 422 | Saddleback College | Mission Viejo, CA |
| 423 | Utah State University | Logan, UT |
| 424 | Randolph - Macon College | Ashland, VA |
| 425 | California State Polytechnic University - Pomona | Pomona, CA |
| 425 | Saint Ambrose University | Davenport, IA |
| 427 | Salisbury University | Salisbury, MD |
| 428 | Norwich University | Northfield, VT |
| 429 | Washington & Jefferson College | Washington, PA |
| 430 | St John’s University - New York | Queens, NY |
| 431 | Rider University | Lawrenceville, NJ |
| 432 | Bergen Community College | Paramus, NJ |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 433 | Harding University | Searcy, AR |
| 434 | Southern New Hampshire University | Manchester, NH |
| 435 | St Catherine University | Saint Paul, MN |
| 436 | Lake Area Technical Institute | Watertown, SD |
| 437 | Park University | Parkville, MO |
| 438 | Biola University | La Mirada, CA |
| 439 | Northwest Vista College | San Antonio, TX |
| 440 | Brigham Young University - Hawaii | Laie, HI |
| 441 | Bunker Hill Community College | Boston, MA |
| 442 | Saint Francis University | Loretto, PA |
| 443 | Gateway Technical College | Kenosha, WI |
| 444 | The College of Wooster | Wooster, OH |
| 445 | Georgia Southern University | Statesboro, GA |
| 446 | Manhattan College | Riverdale, NY |
| 447 | University of New Haven | West Haven, CT |
| 448 | Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte | Charlotte, NC |
| 449 | West Virginia University | Morgantown, WV |
More Nationwide Rankings
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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